The next morning, the team paired up and headed out to patrol the streets. Emily was partnered with Danny, Hotchner with Joyner, Hannah with JJ, Jack with Rossi, and BAU rookie Luke Alvez with Danny's partner, Jenny.
The assignments paired someone familiar with the area or a "semi-local" with someone less familiar. Strictly speaking, Rossi had lived in New York longer than Jack, but Jack's adaptability and situational awareness made him a natural choice for pairing with Rossi. Rossi, as a semi-public figure, could become a target if the killers were indeed after the BAU. Having Jack alongside him addressed this vulnerability.
Jack, however, had concerns of his own. JJ had come to New York with an unusual amount of luggage. During her arrival at the airport a few days ago, Jack had noticed this immediately.
Previously, when the BAU traveled for cases, Jack's luggage was often the heaviest, primarily because of his collection of firearms, including sniper rifles, which required specialized storage cases. The other team members typically brought only a travel bag with spare clothes and a backup weapon. Reid and Rossi might bring a few books, while Emily and JJ's slightly larger bags contained items for maintaining their professional appearance. These bags were all referred to as "go bags."
This time, however, the BAU had brought more weapons, and Luke Alvez, a weapons expert and skilled fighter, had taken on Jack's role as the team's "muscle." Yet the team's luggage exceeded Jack's usual amount by a third, most of it belonging to JJ.
JJ's belongings weren't "go bags" but personal items. Much of it had been sent to a penthouse apartment. According to Hotchner's arrangement, JJ would remain on temporary assignment with the FBI's New York office after this case. Specifically, she was being seconded to Jack's fugitive apprehension team.
Meanwhile, Garcia had volunteered to take on part of JJ's role. Encouraged by her colleagues, the cheerful tech analyst had decided to join the team on field operations for the first time, saying that waiting anxiously in the background and hearing about injuries or attacks was too emotionally taxing.
In the future, JJ's responsibilities would be divided: Garcia would handle case selection and referrals to the BAU, while Hotchner would take on JJ's "diplomatic" duties. The newly renovated second-floor dormitory at the New York office would soon be put to use. While sharing an apartment might not normally be an issue, the complexities of the trio's relationships made it far from straightforward.
"We haven't even caught the killer yet, and the political debate over the death penalty has already exploded in the newspapers," Rossi sighed, crumpling the paper and tossing it into a trash can.
Jack shrugged, uninterested in commenting. He had no appetite for office politics, let alone broader political debates.
"Did you find anything left by the killer at yesterday's crime scene?" Rossi asked, changing the subject as he scanned the bustling streets.
The question made Jack frown. "Nothing at all, which is odd. I expected them to leave at least a note."
"That doesn't fit the profile," Rossi said, puzzled. He ran a hand through his thick black hair, the envy of his contemporaries. "Based on the profile, they should be trying to establish more contact with us—or provoke us further."
Jack followed his reasoning. "Exactly. Their attempts at communication should escalate. They're trying to create fear to satisfy their psychological needs.
"In the 'DC Sniper' case, John Muhammad left 'Death' tarot cards at the crime scenes and demanded $1 million in prepaid cards. He didn't expect to use the money; it was just a way to mock the police.
"'Son of Sam' wrote to the police and later sent a letter to the media, fabricating a story that he was driven by a demon to kill, painting himself as a victim. That's where the nickname 'Son of Sam' originated. Later, the police discovered the so-called 'demon-possessed Sam' was actually his neighbor's dog."
Rossi stared at the street, lost in thought. "But our killers show a high degree of organization. They appear to strike during the busiest times of the day, yet they scout their targets in advance and plan their escape routes.
"They left the 'Death' card at the scene to incite fear, but they haven't contacted the media. It feels... personal."
"Personal? Against us?" Jack had considered that possibility but had taken precautions to guard against it.
"I mean, could they be targeting the FBI's New York office?"
Rossi raised an eyebrow. "What makes you think that?"
Jack bought two fresh orange juices from a street vendor, handing one to Rossi as they continued walking. "What was the first thing you thought of when you got this case?"
"'Son of Sam,'" Rossi replied.
"And when they left the 'Death' tarot card at the scene?" Jack asked.
"'DC Sniper,'" Rossi said, starting to connect the dots.
"They're drawing connections to past cases to get our attention. But what if we're overthinking it? When the public thinks of catching serial killers, they think FBI first, not specifically the BAU."
Rossi's eyes widened. "So after the FBI announced its involvement, they struck on consecutive days. Damn it. Dana bringing in FBI agents from nearby cities might be exactly what they wanted."
Jack patted Rossi on the shoulder. "I don't think it's that simple. The agents are now spread across the city, fully armed. If the killers intended a large-scale attack, the logistics would be daunting. We're close to solving this puzzle—we're just missing one piece."
"Has your office been working on any cases involving organized crime or terrorists?" Rossi asked, pulling out his phone. "I'm calling Dana to loop in DHS, NSA, and CIA to screen for domestic terror threats."
Jack thought hard but couldn't recall any recent cases tied to terrorism. The Durango drug cartel, led by Anthony Vargas, had rumored links to domestic terror groups, but Vargas had been transferred to a high-security prison in Colorado.
If the killers were targeting the FBI, Jack couldn't see why.
Just as he mulled over their motives, Garcia's voice crackled through his earpiece.
"Jack, are you there? The killer's been spotted! He just shot a woman at an ATM on Broadway and 16th Street. He's heading east on 16th."
Jack grabbed Rossi and sprinted toward their Dodge Hellcat parked on the curb. "Who's nearby?"
"Emily and Detective Reagan! The suspect is heading straight toward them!" Garcia's voice was thick with panic, almost sobbing.
"I'll be there in five minutes!" Jack shouted, flicking on the sirens. Before Rossi could fasten his seatbelt, Jack floored the accelerator. The tires screeched, leaving a plume of smoke behind as they sped off.
(End of Chapter)
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